Longitudinal alignment of cartridges in a cartridge belt before entering the breech of a gun



Jan. 23, 1962 s. UHL 3,017,808

LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT OF CARTRIDGES IN A CARTRIDGE BELT BEFORE ENTER Filed March 9, 1960 ING THE BREECH OF A GU 2 Sheets-Sheet l llllll .ul inaii...

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LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT OF CARTRIDGES IN A CARTR BELT BEFOREENTERING THE BREECH OF A GUN Filed March 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jiegfr/e d U77] Ill, 1

ATT'YSZ Zifil'ifldd Patented Jan. 23, 1962 fine 3,017,808 LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT F QARTRTDGES IN A CARTRIDGE BELT BEFURE ENTERING THE BREECH OF A GUN Siegfried Uhl, Augsburg, Germany, assignor to Keller &

Knappich G.m.b.H., Augsburg, Germany, a corporation of Germany Fiied Mar. 9, 1969, er. No. 13,813 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 11, 1959 6 Claims. (Ci. 8933) The invention concerns the longitudinal alignment of cartridges in the cartridge belt before entering the breech, such as required moreover for all quick firing guns for trouble-free loading.

According to the present invention in a longitudinal alignment of cartridges in a cartridge belt before entering the breech of a gun, a double star wheel turning device is associated with a cartridge guide at the tip and base thereof, the two star wheels of the turning device being mounted so as to rotate separately from one another on axles inclined towards one another and interconnected at the end face by means of a bevel gearing and with their star Wheel flanks facing one another at their closest relative distance from each other corresponding to the width of the belt links and are situated parallel to one another, by means of a corresponding inclination which is equal to the angle of inclination of the axle.

This arrangement has the advantage that the longitudinal alignment may be brought about in the quickest way and with a non-positive guidance, directly in front, thus possibly even in the region of the double star wheel guide. The cartridge belt may be guided in staggered formation. Such a staggering for twisting the cartridge belt must, however, extend over a very short distance up to 90 when restricted space conditions make it necessary, such as occurs e.g. in the case of weapons adapted to be swivelled up to 80 directional inclination in constructed tank turrets, with perhaps an out of centre arrangement of the pivot thereof. The advantage of the invention in this respect can be utilized to the fullest extent when the narrowest relative distance of the star wheel flanks facing one another is situated at the cartridge delivery point of the double star wheel guide and when the cartridge guidance towards the delivery point take place in a crossed manner with a tendency to twist the cartridge belt through 90.

The invention will be described further, by way of eX- ample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of an arrangement of gun and cartridge belt constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a corresponding plan;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation in the direction of the arrow A of FIG. 2 of a cartridge guide and guide wheel; and

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 transposed through 90.

A quick firing gun 3, adapted to be swivelled upwardly and downwardly about a horizontal axis 4, is arranged in a tank turret 2, mounted so as to revolve about a vertical axis 1. A magazine 5, for the belted ammunition, is disposed on the floor of the turret so that it is necessary for the cartridges to be twisted through 90 to the point at which the ammunition is inserted in the breech 6 of the gun.

When the gun has assumed its maximum upward inclination, the breech will be situated closely above the magazine opening 5, so that the twist will have to be carried out over a very short distance which is effected by means of a cartridge guide 7. This guide is also provided with guide sections 7' (FIG. 4) for the tip and base of a cartridge 8.

Shortly before the breech 6, the cartridge belt is passed around a rotor assembly which includes a double star wheel guide. As shown in FIG. 4 the two star wheels 9, 9' thereof are not made rigidly on one integral piece as is conventional, but are mounted separately from one another and adapted to rotate on axles inclined towards one another, each axle being inclined through an angle a to the horizontal in the plane of the drawings.

The bosses of the two star wheels 9, 9' are interconnected at the end faces by means of a bevel gearing 10. Due to the inclination of the axles, the flanks of the star wheels 9, 9' facing one another at every point of the wheel periphery have a different spacing from one another.

In the plane II of FIG. 3, i.e. at the cartridge delivery point of the double star wheel guide, the relative distance of the star wheels 9, 9 from one another is shortest and corresponds to the width of the belt links 12 which are interconnected flexibly to a certain extent also about the longitudinal axis of the belt-like chain links and permitting the belt to carry out a turn about its narrow side. At the cartridge delivery point, the relative distance of the star wheel flanks facing one another is greatest, so that the belt links bearing the cartridges which are relatively displaced, safely arrive between the gaping flanks of the star wheels by means of which, with increasing constriction of the flank clearance relative to the cartridge guide 7 they are carried along and displaced, at the tip and base, parallel to the cartridge, as evident from the association of the double star wheel turning member with the cartridge guide. Thus the star wheel flanks facing one another in the plane II of the narrowest spacing are disposed parallel to one another because, as previously mentioned, they are inclined to their given pivot through the same angle a.

From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be readily apparent that the cartridges 8 are guided by the guide sections 7 so that the cartridges remain in alignment with each other at all times. However, as the belt links 12 are twisted in the feeding of the ammunition belts, there is a relative shifting in some instances between the belt links 12 and the cartridges 8. As the belt links 12 pass between the two star wheels 9, 9', it will be seen that the star wheel faces which oppose opposite ends of the belt links 12 are widely spaced at the initial point of engagement of the star wheels with the cartridge 8. As the particular cartridge 8 and its belt link 12 pass around the star wheels 9, 9', the opposed faces of the star wheels 9, 9 converge to a minimum spacing at the delivery point of the rotor assembly which results in the automatic shifting of misaligned belt links 12 with respect to their cartridges and the alignment of all belt links in centered positions on the cartridges,

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for guiding to an automatic gun an ammunition belt composed of cartridges interconnected by links, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced guides for engaging opposite ends of cartridges and maintaining the alignment of cartridges, and a rotor assembly about which an ammunition belt is adapted to pass, said rotor assembly including a pair of relatively inclined star wheels having opposed link engaging faces for engaging opposite edges of links and shifting the links relative to associated cartridges guided by said spaced guides through the convergence of opposed portions of said star wheel faces as said star wheels rotate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor assembly has an ammunition belt delivery point and the spacing between opposed portions of said star Wheel faces is a minimum at said delivery point to assure alignment of belt links at said delivery point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor assembly includes a pair of rollers disposed adjacent said guides for engaging and supporting cartridges outwardly of said star wheels.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said star wheels have means interconnecting the same for rotation in unison.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor assembly has an ammunition belt delivery point, said rotor assembly including a pair of shafts having axes lying in a radial plane passing through said delivery point, said axes being in angular relation and converging away from said delivery point with the spacing between opposed portions of said star Wheel faces being a minimum at said delivery point to assure alignment of belt links at said delivery point, and said star wheel faces including a separate face on each star wheel tooth disposed in angular relation to the respective shaft axis corresponding to the angular relation of said shaft axes whereby opposed portions of said star wheel faces are parallel at said delivery point.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said star wheels have mating bevel gears for assuring the rotation of said star wheels in unison.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,535 Vickers Jan. 12, 1960 

